I wrote this for myself to better understand the difference between Merge, Bounce, Transform and Export/Import StemIt might be helpful to others.

Merge, Bounce, Transform and Export/Import StemThese approaches and terms can be confusing as they can do similar things but do in fact have unique aspects. Think of Merge and Bounce as ways to clean up or uncluttered a song’s events. Merge is more flexible than bounces as it can be dissolved, but bounce makes copies of the source file if you want to apply variations of FX on the same source file. Transform supplies the ultimate (reduce my CPU need), balance of rendering with the ability to un-transform if needed but at a track level. Exporting and importing a stem give you the additional ability to mix/merge tracks.

Merge Events: will Glue the events together into an Audio/Instrument Part which can be dissolved back into its separate parts later. Parts are used for clean up, convenient moves, if you want to duplicate the combined events, want to apply a consistent edit to many events or drag many events into the Browser as a single audio loop (retaining each slice or event).

Bounce Audio Events: Renders a copy of the event(s) (as in a new file in the pool) in place. This can be helpful if you want to apply different transient edits or Melodyne Edits to the same original event to create variation. ( create a copy first or drag from pool)It will also merge multiple selected events on the same track together into a new copy of the combined events. This is useful to clean up a track that may have many audio slices or events on it. It does not apply or remove the FX’s that are on the corresponding channel. It does apply event based FX and envelopes. It also with snap on, extends the event to the nearest measure.

Bounce Instrument Events: Will render the Instrument MIDI data to an audio event on a new track. It will then mute the original Instrument track. Instrument bounce will apply FX’s that are on the corresponding, Instrument Channel but keep the FX on the original muted Instrument track. It can be helpful if an external or internal Instrument needs to be rendered to audio.

Bounce to New Track: is very much like Bounce Instrument in that its uses the FX on the Channel to create a new track and mutes the original. This gives you more flexibility in the Bouncing process for audio tracks in that the original with the original FX are kept in the project but the event is muted. This means you can with a few clicks get back to the original or create many FX variations on the same source file on additional tracks. Or think of it as a convenient way to copy( not duplicate) an event at the same point in time to a new track

Transform Audio Track: will render the audio with the FX that are on the corresponding Channel in place as well as use the Auto tail feature to include long delays or decays. This is a more flexible way to apply FX to an audio track for the sake of reducing CPU hungry FX’s as it applies the FX and is un-doable.

Transform Instrument Track: Like Audio Transform Track but has too many options to explain here as it also deals with removing instruments and rendering multiple outputs for a given instrument. It is the ultimate Freeze unfreeze choice for instruments.

Export Stems /Import to track (case) The option can yield similar results as the Bounce to track option as you can try many variations of FX and Event edits between each render to a track. It also has the unique ability to mix of merge multiple tracks into one track. I.E the historical " reel to reel" root to the term “bounce”.

Drag an Instrument track event(s) to an Audio track This is essentially an Instrument Track Transform but only for selected events. You end up with a compound Audio + Instrument data event like a transform. File length equals selected events, Includes the audio events + Event FX + Event envelope, Does NOT include channel or master bus processing

• (Select all events with Range Tool starting at zero) Drag a track event to a Studio One Browser/Folder: (example: My songs events audio)o A file length equals the range selected (with independent events at the correct times within song)o Includes the audio events + Event FX + Event envelopeo Does NOT include channel or master bus processing

Great post. I wonder if there is any difference in audio quality, or if there is any loss during the conversions. Is one way "better", like realtime processing, to guarantee less bit loss during these processes? I have heard people on other forums answer both yes and no.

gtech wroteGreat post. I wonder if there is any difference in audio quality, or if there is any loss during the conversions. Is one way "better", like realtime processing, to guarantee less bit loss during these processes? I have heard people on other forums answer both yes and no.

Thanks (from old forum)

S1 performs bounces and transforms at 32,bits, but even if it was 16 bits it would be a copy of data and no degradation like the old analogue world.

In many of the examples you may have printed or applied a change to the signal due to effect processing Melodyne etc that will in some case permanently alter the original signal so at some point it becomes subjective if it was a good or bad thing.

Real-time renders are for using with VST/instruments that fail during a fast render.It is kind of a test and see process to determine if you need to do a real-time render.This can be true of some FX in bounces as well.

Just want to add one thing: if I am remembering correctly, "merge events" causes the selected events to lose their status as events. Not a big deal, unless you are into adding event FX in the inspector window. You will not be able to do that if you merge events.

You say you can 'merge multiple tracks into one track' but when I try to do this I am just getting each individual track rendered to separate tracks. I am selecting the tracks and choosing to export stems/import to track?

The easiest way to merge multiple tracks to one stem is to solo them and stem the master bus from the Tracks tab. Just power off the Master FX chain if any first though. Or, if those tracks are already being grouped like maybe drums already going to a drums bus channel, stem the bus channel.

Well, to be clear, I've asked the question numerous times but can't seem to get a concise answer.

I use S1 Producer for creating and playing back tracks for live performance. (Backing tracks..there's 5 of us but playing casinos, you're obligated to use backing tracks to put in the musicians you don't have on stage.

So, I create the backing track as any other piece of music would be done.Then I use Mixdown to create a .wav click, a .wav music sans bass, and a .wav bass track. Leaving three wave files in a separate folder to use later, as I'll explain.

So now I have this library of all of the backing tracks, for all the material we play.

When I build a set list for a show, I then start with a blank .song file.Open the folder with the individual music folders in them (by song title we play).Drag the three .wav files onto the new song and now I have three tracks...Bass on top, Program/music in the middle, and click on the bottom. (Using 44VSL so I output three separate signals. Click to a channel on the board so the drummer gets it in only his ears.Program L/R to two channels on the board, and bass is only used if my bass player is playing keys on that particular song.

Then, one after the other, in the order they appear on the set list, I drag in the songs one after another until I've got the entire night's backing tracks, in order, as a single .song file.I put in the space (3 seconds between the last note of the previous song, till the click begins for the next song) All of this is nice and straightforward...then it gets complicated.

I play through an Axe Effects Ultra II MK II XL processor. (guitar)My drummer is using a combination of acoustic and electronic drums.And there are two TC Helicon Voice Live 3 efx systems for my two lead singers sitting in the PA rack. These are all midi controllable.

The way I have to do it now, which is quite tedious and time consuming, is after the night's music is set up, I then create the automation tracks to send midi control/program change info out to the various things that are using it.The problem comes in because I can NOT create these automation tracks in each individual song because I have no way to export that midi data as midi data.I can turn it into audio, but that renders it useless.

IS THERE A WAY TO EXPORT or SAVE the midi line in an automation track so I can store it with the other three tracks created for every song?

First I will move this to a new thread when done as it is not about bounce

grumpops wrote I then create the automation tracks to send midi control/program change info out to the various things that are using it. OK automation has a double meaning in your case. Automation to you means automate my live set. Automation to DAW people means proprietary non MIDI data used to control things in the DAW.

I can NOT create these automation tracks in each individual song because I have no way to export that midi data as midi data.( here is your key to the solution)Yes there is see below

IS THERE A WAY TO EXPORT or SAVE the midi line in an automation track so I can store it with the other three tracks created for every song?

Your really just asking how do I export MIDI data.

Studio One does not have a merge song feature yet. You could request it.

When you compile your separate songs manually by dragging the wave files you are leaving tall the other song data behind. ( you already know that)

You can export MIDI but not Automation data. Automation data is proprietary to S1.There are several ways to export MIDI from S1. All in the manual. ( search export MIDI)

1) You can drag it out of the song. ( hold ALt key down while dragging the part to the file tab browser or the OS file system2) You can select it from the context menu. ( Export Instrument export parts to MIDI)

Once exported you can then drag them back into the Live Set compilation song.FYI: ( I am not sure if it will export correctly with just system Exclusive message to turn a path, you may have to add a dummy note. )

Indeed a nice quick overview of the (now) many ways to convert audio in S1v3, thanks JPetit.

I'm just testing some ways, and have found a weird little thing. I transformed a kick drum in MIDI to audio, which rendered and audio file, as it should, routed to the drum bus I always set up. The problem comes when I use "Transform to Instrument track", in order to get back to the MIDI part. It routes the MIDI to the main bus, not keeping it in the drum bus as I had.

"On a different note, lately I've also been trying to figure out why if I copy an audio loop and bend or warp one of them both are affected. It's really slowing me down. Time to dig through these boards I guess."

After copying you need to bounce (cntl/cmd B) the event/loop to make it autonomous.

Regards.....

They say that money can't buy you happiness - but if I had to be unhappy I'd rather have money as well....

Steve Carter wrote"On a different note, lately I've also been trying to figure out why if I copy an audio loop and bend or warp one of them both are affected. It's really slowing me down. Time to dig through these boards I guess."

After copying you need to bounce (cntl/cmd B) the event/loop to make it autonomous.

Regards.....

That is the way it is designed. Copying or duplicating an event just create a different pointer/link to the same event.Bouncing and Event physically create a new file for the event.

In many of my projects I send several tracks to a specific bus. For example, kickstart bus, break bus, and so on. For example for kickstart, several bass tracks use the same kickstart setting and can be automated at specific points in the song. So all tracks are done at once.

Now I want to export my seperate tracks including the bus processing in order to send to a mix/mastering engineer. Is this possible?If I Export STEMS I only have the channels or tracks without the bus processing and I can bounce the bus seperately but that is not what I need.

In many of my projects I send several tracks to a specific bus. For example, kickstart bus, break bus, and so on. For example for kickstart, several bass tracks use the same kickstart setting and can be automated at specific points in the song. So all tracks are done at once.

Now I want to export my seperate tracks including the bus processing in order to send to a mix/mastering engineer. Is this possible?If I Export STEMS I only have the channels or tracks without the bus processing and I can bounce the bus seperately but that is not what I need.

Would be great...Thanks!

Have no idea what you need.It sounds like you would want to export channels including buses then the total of the stem is equal to your discrete mix.